The Australian War Memorial in Canberra will commemorate the service and sacrifice of Yarram resident Private George William Paterson at the Last Post Ceremony on Saturday 1 March 2025, marking the 124th anniversary of the Australian Army.
"George Paterson was born on 16 August 1898 in Yarram, Victoria. He was one of 11 children born to John Paterson, a farmer, and his wife Mary," Australian War Memorial Director Matt Anderson said.
"George grew up in Darriman, where he attended the local state school. Aged just 17, George Paterson enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 29 March 1916 and was allocated to the 18th Reinforcement of the 5th Battalion."
On 10 May 1917, George was killed in a dugout near Bullecourt, France, when a shell burst nearby, burying him alive. By the time his comrades dug him out, he was already dead. Private George Paterson was 19 years old.
The Last Post ceremony is held at 4.30 pm every day except Christmas Day in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial.
Each ceremony shares the story behind one of 103,000 names on the Roll of Honour. To date, the Memorial has delivered more than 3,800 ceremonies, each featuring an individual story of service from colonial to recent conflicts. It would take more than 280 years to read the story behind each of the 103,000 names listed on the Roll of Honour.
"The Last Post Ceremony is our commitment to remembering and honouring the legacy of Australian service," Memorial Director Matt Anderson said.
"Through our daily Last Post Ceremony, we not only acknowledge where and how these men and women died. We also tell the stories of who they were when they were alive, and of the families who loved and, in so many cases, still mourn for them.
"The Last Post is now associated with remembrance but originally it was a bugle call to sound the end of the day's activities in the military. It is a fitting way to end each day at the Memorial."
The Last Post Ceremony honouring the service of Private George William Paterson will be live streamed to the Australian War Memorial's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/c/awmlastpost.
The stories told at the Last Post Ceremony are researched and written by the Memorial's military historians, who begin the process by looking at nominal rolls, attestation papers and enlistment records before building profiles that include personal milestones and military experiences.
HANDOUT image: VWMA
